I've been reading a lot lately. I'm a fast reader so it's fun to just plow right through a novel and get the beginning the middle and the end all within a day or so. Lives unfold with all their drama and I feel connected more to some characters than to others. There are times that I like the characters so much and I relate so much to their story that I hate to see the book end. I feel like I'll never be with those people again and it makes me a little sad. What seems to be true as I move from one novel or piece of non-fiction to the next is that we are all recovering from something. For some it's family drama – an addicted, angry or unloving parent, illness or an early death in the family. It can be about misunderstandings that create separation that can't be healed or about siblings that can't seem to recover from rivalry and jealousy. Others have to deal with secrecy or devious behavior that leaves scars and won't allow a person to trust. For some, they can't seem to recover from loss that comes in the form of accidents or acts of nature. At the end of the day, we all have our wounds to heal and our challenges to face, our tragedies to overcome and disappointments that leave us broken and grieving.
The fact that other people are suffering doesn't ease my pain but it does create an opportunity for me to realize that I am not alone in my challenges. There are people in every walk of life that are struggling with the changes that came about through an unexpected and difficult experience. We all want life to go smoothly and in those moments when all feels well we relax and savor the goodness that life brings. But when we are in the midst of our troubles, when it seems that nothing will ever be right again, that's the time to reach out and find comfort and solace. Everyone needs a soft place to land, a place to share fears and concerns and to know that when they share they will not be made to feel “less than”. Sometimes when I am reading a good novel I feel as if I am healing along with the characters who are meeting their challenge head-on. I recognize my pain in them and we become kindred spirits, even if only in my mind.
But it's the real people in my life that I turn to when I am tired of trying to figure things out and I am getting nowhere. It's my dear friends and wonderful family that are there to boost me up when I am feeling down and instead of just trying to cheer me up, they let me grieve and share my fear and pain. Loved ones are there for me in good times and in bad and it is up to me to balance what I share so they don't get overwhelmed. I am a listener for them as they meet their challenges and although we don't have the same challenges to face, we are certainly aware of how it feels to be overwhelmed, discouraged and frustrated. Our feelings evolve as we move through our difficulties and friends are great at pointing out the improvement and celebrating the fact that things are getting better. They are also great at reminding us that just because one part of life may be way out of balance, there are other parts that are functioning just fine and we can draw strength from that place of stability. Our lives are a story, unfolding each day filled with mundane every day things that we don't even notice as well as circumstances that seem to whack us in the side of head. It's all part of life. The bottom line is that we are all recovering from something and we can be there for each other to sweeten the journey.
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